Method and means for making buttonholes in series formation



W. HEIMANN Aug. 7, 1962 METHOD AND MEANS FOR MAKING BUTTONHOLES INSERIES FORMATION Filed Sept. 5, 1958 IN VEN TOR.

United States Patent Ofitice 3,48,l35 Patented Aug. 7, 1962 3,048,135METHOD AND MEANS FOR MAKING BUTTON HOLES IN SERIES FORMATIGN WilliHeimann, Kaiserslautern, Pfalz, Germany, assignor to G. M. Pfalt A.G.,Kaiserslautern, Pfalz, Germany Filed Sept. 5, 1958, Ser. No. 759,314Claims priority, application Germany Sept. 9, 1957 4 Claims. (Cl. 112155) This invention relates to a system of sewing buttonholes andconcerns the arrangement of a plurality of sewing machines forsimultaneously finishing at least two buttonholes which are disposed inspaced apart relation along the product or workpiece to be providedwithbuttonhole seams.

It is one of the principal objects of the invention to provide meansfacilitating finishing of a plurality of buttonholes during sewingoperation eiiected by a single operator, whereby great accuracy andhighly economical advantages are attained.

It is another object of the invention to provide means contributing tospeedy and precise sewing operation in the course of simultaneouslyfinishing several buttonholes, the seams thereof may be aligned ordisposed in parallel relation to each other.

Still a further object of the invention resides in the provision ofmeans ensuring performance of buttonhole sewing operations even byunskilled labor, the feed mechanisms of said sewing machines beingadjusted to be readily displaced relative to each other with theworkpiece without any particular effort or any requirement of dexterity.

It is 'still another object of the invention to provide means conduciveto a highly efiicacious buttonhole sewing system, in which theoperational steps are substantially automatically carried out, therebysimplifying manipulation and minimizing loss of time for the operator.

Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide meansleading to a very economical, speedy and easily operable buttonholesewing system, which to a certain extent takes advantage of heretoforeexisting sewing machines which may be readily regulated relative to theworkpiece for the ensuing seam sewing operation.

More specifically the present invention aims at adjusting the heads oftwo aligned sewing machines in face-toface relation to each other and ata predetermined distance, so that the workpiece initially extendingbetween the edges of said heads in substantially flat and taut conditionupon completion of aligned oblong edge seams of two spaced buttonholeshas gradually and equally risen within the space between said facingmachine heads, thereby to permit unimpeded feed of the workpiece duringsimultaneous finishing operations of both said buttonholes.

Still another object of the present invention resides in the provisionof means improving to a considerable extent the application of seams toand the transport of two spaced apart buttonholes of a workpiece along abase support, and of further means eifectuating in a highly economicalmanner an adequate feed of the workpiece 'in such a way, that twofurther buttonholes of the same workpiece may be subsequently worked up,of which at least one buttonhole may be located between said firstmentioned two spaced apart buttonholes.

These and other objects of the invention will become further apparentfrom the following detailed description, reference being made to theaccompanying drawing showing a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 shows the workpiece having a plurality of spaced apartbuttonholes and illustrating same at the beginning of the sewingoperation for applying seams or stitches;

FIG. 2 shows an intermediate stage in the sewing operation schematicallyillustrated in FIG. 2;

FIG. 3 shows portions of the workpiece on an enlarged scale with seamsalong two coordinated buttonholes.

With reference to the attached drawing, FIG. 1 shows the arrangement oftwo sewing machines at the start of the sewing operation for applyingseams to buttonholes 4a, 4b to be produced. The workpiece 1 is under theaction of the presser feet 2, 2a of the two sewing machines 3, 3a havingtheir heads 10, 16a arranged at a predetermined distance from each otherwhich heads carry respective sewing needles 5, 5a. At first, each sewingmachine 3, 3a provides a lengthy seam 6a, 6b (FIG. 3) along alignededges defining buttonholes 4a, 4b, whereby the workpiece 1 to beprocessed is depressed by presser feet 2, 2a and then transported in thecourse of the operation in the direction of arrows A, B and also intothe direction C upwardly within the space between the heads 10, 10a.

The workpiece 1 is in taut condition at the start of the needleoperational positions 5, 5a, whereafter during application of thestitches or seams 5a, 6b of each buttonhole 4a, 4b between the headsli),10a of the machines the workpiece 1 performs a maximum movement aboutdouble the length'of seam 6a or 612. In the event that the workpiece 1is placed between two sewing machines arranged in tandem relation andequipped with an intermittently working feed mechanism, then suchfeedaction may not encounter any difficulties. To this end, well knownclamping means with several clamps for the workpiece may be employed, asfor example, known by US. Patent No. 2,194,794.

FIG. 2 demonstrates the location of the workpiece 1 having moved in thedirections A, B after finishing the first seam portions 6, 6a of thebuttonholes 4a, 4b to be produced. By means of the sewing systemdisclosed by this invention, it is possible to finish subsequently, forexample, the first and fourth buttonholes, thereafter the second andfifth buttonholes of a row of buttonholes whose edges are aligned or areparallel to each other and the axes 11, 11a, whereby the distancebetween two buttonholes of the first sewing operation amounts to amultiple of the distance between two adjacent buttonholes which aredisposed next to each other.

The finishedbuttonholes 4 have received their stitchings upon furthermovement of workpiece 1 in the directions D, E (FIG. 2). Worktables 9,9a are adjustable relative to support 7 along median line 8:: of groove8 and interengage the latter with corresponding tongues 12 dependingfrom the worktables 9, 9a. Median line 8a is intersected by verticalmedian line 819 between heads 10, 10a.

The two sewing machines 3, 3a are correspondingly adjusted apredetermined distance apait on the base support 7, and are held inplace by the interlocking action between tongues 12 and groove 8.

The workpiece, when moved by known intermittent working feed mechanismsas hereinabo-ve referred to such as indicated in US. Patent 2,194,794,for example, advance forwardly only each time about a fraction of thedistance between two buttonholes to be provided with stitches or seamsin a single sewing operation. Thereafter and subsequently severalbuttonholes of a row of buttonholes provided in workpiece 1, may bedirectly worked upon and applied with successive seams.

It can thus be seen that there has been provided according to thisinvention a sewing system and process of applying simultaneouslyrespective finishing stitches or seams to at least two spaced apartbuttonholes provided in a'lengthy workpiece, which comprises the stepsof placing said workpiece between spaced apart sewing machines withtheir needle carrying heads in face-to-face relation, adjusting saidmachines with their needle carrying heads in fixed position on a basesupport, so that said needles are located at the corresponding ends ofsaid two button holes to apply said seams thereon, and then feeding saidworkpiece from a substantially tlat and taut position between said'needles along the length of each buttonhole seam toward the center ofthe space between said heads thereby to simultaneously finish therespective seams of both said buttonholes in a single sewing operation.

Various changes and modifications may be made without departing from thespirit and scope of the present invention and it is intended that suchobvious changes and modifications be embraced by the annexed claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. The process of applying simultaneously respective seams to two spacedapart buttonholes provided in a lengthy workpiece; comprising the stepsof placing said workpiece between spaced apart sewing machines withtheir needle carrying reads in face-toface relation, adiusting saidmachines with their needle carrying heads in position on a base supportso that said needles are located at the outermost ends of said twobuttonholcs to apply said seams thereon, and then feeding said workpiecefrom a substantially flat and taut position between said needles alongthe length of each buttonhole seam toward the center of the spacebetween said heads to simultaneously finish said seams of both saidbuttonholes in a single sewing operation.

2. A sewing system for producing seams simultaneously for a pair ofspaced buttonholes to be produced on a lengthy workpiece; comprising twosewing machines each having a head, said machines being arranged withtheir heads in face-to-face and spaced apart relation to each other, anelongated support base having a ion itudinal groove therein and having ahorizontal median line, said base having a transverse centerline betweensaid machines and extending from one of said machines beyond and belowthe head of the latter to the other machine and below the head of same,so that said workpiece is supported by said base between and below saidheads, and feed means forming respective parts of said machines so thatsaid workpiece upon producing seams by means of needles carried by saidheads, is displaced from a fiat and substantially taut conditionequidistantly and commensurate with the length of each buttonhole seemin the direction of said center line located within the space betweensaid heads and vertically intersecting with said horizontal median lineof said base.

3. A sewing system for simultaneously making seams for production of aplurality of spaced apart buttonholes on a lengthy workpiece; comprisingtwo sewing machines each having a head carrying a sewing needle andhaving a worktable provided with a depending tongue, said machines beingarranged with their heads in face-to-face and spaced apart relation toeach other, an elongated support base provided with a centrallongitudinal guide groove for engaging said machines and guiding samefor adjusting said machines in position on said base, said worktables ofsaid machines resting on said base with said tongue disposed in saidgroove, said base extending from one of said machines beyond and belowthe head of the latter to the other machine and below the head of same,so that said workpiece may be located on and supported by said basebetween and below said heads, and intermittently operable feed meansforming respective parts of said machines so that said workpiecev uponmaking said seams by means of needles along two spaced buttonholes to beproduced, is displaced from flat and substantially taut condition atsaid needles during feed relative to the latter equidistantly andcommensurate with the length of each buttonhole seam toward the centerlocated within the space between said heads.

4. An arrangement for sewing machines having means for sewing stitchesalong buttonhole edges which are eiined in a garment, said machinesincluding feeding and overhanging frame, a needle reciprocatably mountedat one end of said frame, and feeding means acting to feed the garmentin a direction out from said frame to sew one side of said buttonholeand a direction beneath said frame to sew the opposite side or" saidbuttonhole, comprising a supporting base having a longitudinal centeringgroove, means on said base for supporting two sewing machines aligned insaid groove, said machines being disposed on said base and centered insaid groove with the needle end of said frame disposed in facingrelationship but spaced apart to receive a garment therebetween wherebywhen a garment is positioned between the needles of the two spacedmachines the feed means is effective to feed the garment from a tautposition in directions outwardly from each machine to cause the materialto bunch up therebetween and is thereafter effective to feed thematerial in opposite directions to sew the opposite side of thebuttonhole and to cause the material to then assume a taut positionbetween the machines.

d in the file of this patent UNlThD STATES PATENTS

